වෙස්සගිරිය | |
 Rock shelters at Vessagiri | |
  Shown within Sri Lanka | |
| Location | Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 8°21′N 80°23′E / 8.350°N 80.383°E |
Vessagiriya, or Issarasamanarama, is an ancient Buddhist forest monastery that is part of the ruins of Anuradhapura, one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka. It is located about half a mile south of Isurumuniya, among boulders. Begun in the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa (mid-3rd century BC), the site was expanded during the reign of King Kasyapa (473 - 491 AD) to become home to about five hundred monks. [1]
The Vessagiri monks lived in rock shelters that were constructed by quarrying from local materials. Today's visitor sees only the bare stones - and not all of those, since much of the rock was later carted away and reused elsewhere. But when occupied, the dwellings were finished using wood and other perishable materials. [2]
Above the shelters are inscribed the names of donors written in Brahmi script.[3][4]
- ^ The Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, UNESCO 1993.
- ^ A Guide To The Cultural Triangle Of Sri Lanka, by Edmund Jayasuriya. Central Cultural Fund, Colombo, 2004.
- ^ Jayetilleke, Rohan L. (2005-10-12). "Vessagiriya - the monastery of the Vaisya-Setthis". Lanka Library. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ "Drip-Ledge Cave". Art-and-archaeology.com. Retrieved 2009-04-14.